Learning A New Language Essay

A countries identity is characterized by many different factors. It may be the culture of the people, the beliefs, the technological advancement or the degree of economic prosperity. It cannot be argued, however, that the single factor which brings all of these characteristics together and allows other people to appreciate and understand a country more is language. All the signs of prosperity are meaningless without language to convey the real meaning. Language is the single factor which allows people to become involved with a country and be able to call it their home. Give this, the relevance of learning a new language lies in the fact that by learning a new language one is able to learn more about other cultures and be accepted by it. It has often been said that one of the most essential parts of encouraging the growth of personal character is social interaction and communication. In order to make this happen, it is important that a person develop language skills because it is one of the primary modes of communication and social interaction. Having to translate everything or not being able to communicate freely is a hindrance to the establishment of working relationships. As such, it is important for people to learn new languages to enable them to reach out to other people, especially if you are a foreigner in their country. In order to develop language skills, it is not important that the person is genuinely interested in the other or what the other has to say since the purpose of communication and listening is indeed to come to a better understanding of another person. The thing that is required in order to develop good listening skills is in being able to know when to simply just â€Å"shut up and listen. † There is a certain timing that is needed in listening because listening may often be confused with boredom or disinterest by certain people. One has to know when to simply just nod one’s head or smile instead of opening one’s mouth to say something. The importance of this is because those who have speech or communication impairments, such as those from a foreign country, actually have a more difficult time reaching out to the world and need all the help and support that they can get. This also allows the person to absorb and understand the nuances of the new language so that the person is able to adapt. This is very important because oftentimes trouble is caused by miscommunication and when one deals with foreign languages it is important to make a person used to the sound of the language and also the way that it is used in speaking. Therefore, the most important thing is to first listen to the person and try to understand what the person is communicating. This is the first process in learning a new language. The second step lies in using the simple words and not being intimidated or afraid to speak. Oftentimes, people are unable to learn a new language because they are afraid of making mistakes. This is a normal thing and people should always remember that practice makes perfect. There is no other way of learning a new language. A person must simply keep writing and speaking in order to get better. Another way this can be improved is by asking a lot of questions. It is hard to imagine a world where nobody actually listened or paid any attention to other people. It would probably be a sad world filled with the endless monologue from the unending conversations of people who have nobody to listen to them. The people of the world would arguably be much sadder too since there would be nobody to listen to their problems or help them vent their frustrations and this is made better by learning a new language because people can talk to each other better. It is also thankfully not hard to become good at this. Just like listening, when learning a new language think, learn and feel first and by doing so listening to what the other has to say. If man had learned this skill earlier, think of all the wars and bloodshed that mankind could have avoided by simply listening to what the other had to say.